And a happy new year to you all. We are back at work, filming, which was something to a shock to the system after a lengthy Christmas break, but yes we are filming away, until April at least, and after that I'm not quite sure. I'm hoping some teaching will come along, especially in interesting places like Venice, but above all I need to get a new film going. Of course I would love to get one of my feature scripts going, but there's one I have been involved with for nearly four years and I'm not sure we are any nearer going into production than we were four years ago. Of course I'm worried about the time left as these things just take so long. and short films, well I have a few I'd like to get going, but, put frankly, how the hell does one get a short film made these days. The climate is so different, but films do get made, somehow.I'd love to do some more theatre, and do some cross over work. Basically, I just want to keep working, doing creative stuff that I can contribute to. The last thing I want to do is be an old duffer forever talking about how things were in days gone by. I've still got a lot to give.I'd love to do a new book, but it would be something quite different, a look at the wider scheme of things. There are some great books about animation, but animation is not in it's own bubble. I find it hard to talk about animation and not bring in acting, theatre, ballet, opera, plays, film and so on....this seems to alarm editors.Anyway here's to go a good new year, and one to which I can significantly contribute.

Still filming away, blinded by so much green screen, which is standard now. It will be lovely to hopefully, soon, work with miniature sets again and characters sharing the same space.I had a trip down south to the University For the Creative arts in Farnham, and that was fun. I think I talked sense and certainly was on a roll and spouted forth without pausing for breath. Some great feedback. Hopefully I have a gig in Venice again this year.

I have this week been in Barcelona, teaching on the Masters in Stop Motion course at BAU. For all I saw of the city I could well have been in a suburb of Manchester - certainly, the weather for the most part, reminded me of home. Grey. But a truly international group of students, and I think we had seven languages, but thanks to a lot of pointing and some English, we got through it all. I would have loved to have given them more resources but by the end of the sessions they were producing some remarkable footage. Now I have been lucky enough to teach around the world, and have seen great courses and not so great courses, and some frankly awful courses. I would never teach full time as my need to tell stories and be behind a camera is too strong, but if I were to run a course, I would certainly take elements of all I have seen. It would be broad ranging and not just be about stop motion/animation in an isolated bubble. History would be very important, with access to films before Nightmare before Christmas, which seems to be most student's starting point. But I would talk about art in all its' forms, from sculpture, through ballet and theatre and opera, trying to get to the very basic question of why we tell stories, and why we enjoy metaphors, myths and artifice. I would include acting classes, dance classes, music classes (certainly the ability to read a score is essential). I would include all the technical knowledge of cameras, editing software, puppet making, and lighting, but I would keep coming back to the why of storytelling. Why, why, why. There would be big sessions about puppets and the cyphers they are; sessions about communication and visual storytelling, and animation every day, every single day, with puppets, objects, anything you can touch and get a performance out of. I would fill every day with inspirational ideas. Stop motion is only the peak of a very big iceberg. Some colleges aspire to all this but have their hands tied by resources and budgets, but inspiration is free.

Away from work it has been a pretty full on week, with visits to both the dentist and the doctor for the regular check ups. All good there at the moment. Then on Monday I lead a tour of the Garrick. In pro theatre you may get 45 minutes to just select areas, but here the 17 new members got to have access all areas over well over two hours, and everyone working away on stage and backstage was very helpful. I think I did my bit to sell the theatre which was satisfying. I also took some of our cast from two years ago to see the current tour of Kneehigh's Brief Encounter. I was a little nervous as this is such a joyously inventive and athletic production, and we did not have their musical, choreographic resources, let alone the brilliant and deceptively simple use of projections. But I think we had a clearer concept, of the ghosts of the cinema living out Laura's story around her. We certainly acknowledged our roots in this iconic production, and just watching it again brought back the joy of putting the show on. Heck, I need to be creative again, darn soon. There is simply nothing like putting a show together.

Away from work it has been a pretty full on week, with visits to both the dentist and the doctor for the regular check ups. All good there at the moment. Then on Monday I lead a tour of the Garrick. In pro theatre you may get 45 minutes to just select areas, but here the 17 new members got to have access all areas over well over two hours, and everyone working away on stage and backstage was very helpful. I think I did my bit to sell the theatre which was satisfying. I also took some of our cast from two years ago to see the current tour of Kneehigh's Brief Encounter. I was a little nervous as this is such a joyously inventive and athletic production, and we did not have their musical, choreographic resources, let alone the brilliant and deceptively simple use of projections. But I think we had a clearer concept, of the ghosts of the cinema living out Laura's story around her. We certainly acknowledged our roots in this iconic production, and just watching it again brought back the joy of putting the show on. Heck, I need to be creative again, darn soon. There is simply nothing like putting a show together.

The snow and cold winds nearly put paid to much work this week. certainly it is hard to be animating with blue hands. I had a big workshop to do at a university, which involved a bit of an epic journey, and the night before as cars were sliding everywhere and trains were cancelled I had little enthusiasm and much concern about going, but actually I made it relatively easily. I went by train and i'm glad I did. As usual I get sad that resources are so limited and we have to work with puppets that are not complete or can't stand up, but, but, but in spite of all that, or perhaps despite all that, we managed to progress from some pretty ropey stuff so some most impressive animation. The students all worked hard and chatted away, and we got somewhere. The journey home as less easy and alcohol on the train, even that early in the evening, was rife. But I'm glad I did not back out as I think I made a small difference.

My small film about Tchaikovsky has led, this week, to a direct connect with the man himself. I won't go into it here but a direct descendant of someone hugely significant in his life wrote to me having seen my film, and loved it, and we have been chatting away all week. To have a direct link to the man is extraordinary. As it happens I ent to see Sleeping beauty this week. Tchaikovsky seems to be reaching out.

The combination of a bug going round and stress of work and life all got together and conspired to lay me low, and lay me low they did. For several days I was unfit for purpose and hallucinating and living in a strange flexible time - thankfully, all over that now, and whilst I am now a stone lighter, I would not recommend that as a method.and in the midst of this, and with unfortunate timing, Lord Marcus arrived - though perhaps having to leaving him with his own space for a few days was the perfect thing. A gorgeous black and white quirky cat - a few days later and he's very happy here, with his own routine, and happy with the garden and such. A lovely gent.

Only four days work this week, but at the moment every day has to count as there are not many left. It's going to be a very lean summer I suspect, Shame there's not a stop motion feature finishing up that I could jump on for a few months. Lots of anticipation for Isle of Dogs opening this weekend. I will go, as it looks beautiful, but I will have the usual anguish of another feature that I have not worked on - half of me hopes that I would have been asked, and half of me fears the rejection had I made an overt application.

Two rather low weeks, still recovering from the bug that aid me low, and getting used to the impending unemployment in a couple of weeks - again. The finances have been up and down in recent years.....I'd hoped by this time they would have settled somewhat. And yes, on Monday, it is my fortieth anniversary of being an animator. I don't hear bells but we will have a cake at work. that will cheer us up a bit. I will write something about those forty years shortly. These two weeks have also been a bit sluggish as I had an accident with the computer and ten days later I get it back with no data. I hade backed up most stuff, but some recent images have gone sadly. Happily most photos have been on Facebook which I have downloaded now, but bless if I can find them on the computer. Lesson - well two really. Always back things up, and never let your lovely enthusiastic cat head butt a cup of tea near your computer.

Two rather low weeks, still recovering from the bug that aid me low, and getting used to the impending unemployment in a couple of weeks - again. The finances have been up and down in recent years.....I'd hoped by this time they would have settled somewhat. And yes, on Monday, it is my fortieth anniversary of being an animator. I don't hear bells but we will have a cake at work. that will cheer us up a bit. I will write something about those forty years shortly. These two weeks have also been a bit sluggish as I had an accident with the computer and ten days later I get it back with no data. I hade backed up most stuff, but some recent images have gone sadly. Happily most photos have been on Facebook which I have downloaded now, but bless if I can find them on the computer. Lesson - well two really. Always back things up, and never let your lovely enthusiastic cat head butt a cup of tea near your computer.

And so my involvement with the recent series ended with a bit of a whimper, fading out. I'm always happy, well I am most happy when I am working, but this has been an odd experience for most of us, simply as our contribution has been a bit limited. Anyway I'm not sure what next, and I do panic as the year stretches out in front of me and all I can see in tumbleweed slowly travelling through frame! I'm open to all manner of things, but preferably Manchester based, as I may have a play or two, or maybe none, and I do have Lord Marcus to think of. And he will enjoy me being at home a bit more. I'd like to do another book, and I talked about it with a publisher last year, but that really is so much effort for little financial reward, and the book I want to do would be unconventional, to say the least. So on Monday, with this very odd shadow hanging over us, I wanted to acknowledge that it was forty years since I walked into Cosgrove Hall and started animating on grandma Bricks of swallow Street. And my life changed then and there. Animation was never the intention, but a lot of it now makes sense - the joy of artifice and story telling. It has never felt like a job, and there have been very few times when I have not enjoyed myself. It's the people that often make a job exciting, and then less exciting as a result of people who really are ill prepared or perhaps don't have the necessary passion. I've met a few of those over the years, just as I have met some truly inspirational people - mainly through events and things I have found myself at. I still don't think I have scratched my potential, and I am sad for the chances I talked myself out of, or that passed me by. Still we had a rather spectacular cake for my anniversary. I also did a voice over for some students this week which was great fun. The script was a two hander, and I had assumed the part of a pompous faded sit com actor being arrogant and being brought down to earth was the part I was playing. No, I was a more sinister character, and I loved doing it. I hope the students can pull all the different takes together.An odd week where there should have been much celebration but we've all felt a little worn down.

Ah, I've missed a few weeks. Technically, this website has had a few problems, but my brother in law has worked long and hard to keep it going. Also, I'm now out of work, my involvement with the last series at an end. very mixed feelings about that, as I love working and need to work financially, but, well anyway, let's see what happens. I have a few fingers in a few pies but none of them offer any money. I have started work on my next play at the Garrick, Playhouse creatures, and though the performances are not till the end of August, I am already working hard, getting to know thte play and the characters and the visual language and conventions I shall use. It could be a huge production on a large stage, but we are in the studio and I shall, of necessity, go for a different approach, and enjoy the intimacy and the theatricality. now if only this was paid......and I could justify the hours of work, and all the decisions one makes to get where you want to the piece to be.